


The Kupala Night

by bainel



Series: Summertime (And The Livin' Is Easy) [1]
Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Polish folklore, Slavic Folklore, The Kupala Night, a rusałka makes a cameo, and Wild, just me and my imagination running free, no real plot, she's not important but i wanted to include her, some traditions, there's no point in this fic, you know what i wrote it just for fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 18:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19323556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bainel/pseuds/bainel
Summary: "Every unmarried woman participating, was to make a wreath for herself and then set it onto the water. If a man was to pick one up, it was supposed to mean, he and the owner of the wreath were going to marry soon enough. Zelda’s wreaths sank year after year."





	The Kupala Night

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna be honest with you. I was drunk while writing the majority of this fic so there's a very real possibility it doesn't make any sense. Also, there's no real plot here. Just me and my imagination, trying to stitch together this universe with polish folklore. Treat it as a writing exercise (??)  
> If you want to know something more about the Kupala Night (the real one) you may google it! It's such a fun night, guys!  
> Enjoy this mess, kids!  
> PS. I did not proofread. Sorry.

The golden glow of sundown shone through the treetops as she stepped between the celebrating people standing in small groups, drinking, or dancing around the magnificent bonfire. The fire kept crackling happily as if to join the celebration. The sparks set flying into the sky. The heat and the smoke made the air around it ripple. The sound of talking voices mixed with an occasional burst of laughter, and soft tones of a flute and fiddle. All of the sounds bounced off of the surface of the lake, carrying into the slowly falling night.

People of her coven were more than ready to leave the dark times of autumn and winter behind themselves. And what better time to do so than now? At the brink of a new beginning.

Summer solstice.

Her eyes glided over the faces of witches, warlocks, and creatures of all kinds, that were all present. Some of them were wearing masks. Masks representing rabbits, hares, owls, and goats. Everywhere she looked, she could see people participating in traditional activities. One group was preparing for walking deeper into the forest, to look for some herbs that only blossomed that one night. Young boys were jumping over smaller bonfires that were placed all around the area. Trying to prove their bravery. There were also young couples who were doing this as well, trying to see whether their relationship would survive for the long term. People were indulging in the pleasures of their own bodies, out in the open, unbothered about the presence of others around them. She smiled under her nose, glad to see the members of her church enjoying themselves for the first time in so long.

She quietly searched the crowd for that one face in particular. And she found it easily enough.

A beautiful redhead sat in a circle of women on the grass beside the lake, deeply focused on what she was doing. The women in the circle had flowers in their hands, slowly but surely turning them, one flower at a time, into wreaths. A blonde sitting beside the redhead leaned over and said something, her mouth curling into a big grin, however, Lilith could not hear the words that were said. The two women giggled and she felt a warm thing settle in her chest as she watched them. She hadn’t had many opportunities to witness her High Priestess being so relaxed and carefree.

Ever since she took the throne of Hell for her own, and Zelda took up the title of the High Priestess, they spent much more time in each other’s presence. Talking for hours on end about the direction they want the church to turn to, about the plans for the future of their coven. And eventually, about the things they had never shared with anyone before. Secrets whispered into the night, long before the waking of the sun. Just the two of them, sharing secrets with each other.

There was a budding friendship between them, but there was also something else. Something much more primal, more urgent, and yet more complicated all the same. A mutual attraction. A tension, they had both felt from the very first time they had laid their eyes on each other.

Lilith turned her steps towards the circle of women. Her eyes glued to the redhead. Naturally gravitating towards the unstoppable force that was Zelda Spellman.

And then...

Someone had called out her name and she flinched, still not used to people addressing her by her real name. She stopped in her tracks and turned to look for the owner of the voice. She saw a woman, standing at the edge of the lake, a good distance from the circle. Clad in a flowing white dress, she played with her long, slick, brown hair that reached her waist. A seductive smile played on her lips. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the light of the setting sun. 

At first glance, one could mistake her for a human. But the woman appeared to be smudged around the edges, like a watercolor painting. Her smile too predatory, her face too beautiful, her eyes without any spark of life in them.

Rusałka. A water nymph. A demon in the shape of a young woman, who drowned in her past, and was now seducing men into her treacherous arms to drown them as well.

Lilith smirked and changed her course, making her way towards her old friend.

“I wasn’t aware you were permitted to leave the water,” she said as she approached the young woman.

“Summer solstice has its perks,” the woman winked. She grinned as Lilith came closer, stopping just a hand’s reach away from her.

“I suppose so,” Lilith muttered. She watched the other woman carefully. They were old friends, true, but she didn’t trust her. She knew demons, she was one herself, after all, so she stayed focused, watching the young woman’s every move. She waited for her to speak again, but once it became clear that the demon was content with just staring at Lilith, she decided to break the silence, “You called me.”

It should not be possible for her grin to grow even bigger and more predatory, and yet… She tilted her head slightly to the side, like a child wondering what will happen with her next move.

“Would you like to go for a swim with me?" she asked. Her innocent voice was almost convincing. Lilith chuckled. 

"Do you really think I'm naive like that?"

"Oh, please Lilith,” her offended pout turned back into a seductive smile. She moved a step closer and put her hands up for Lilith to see. “I promise I'll keep my hands to myself. But only this time.” she winked. “It's men I'm supposed to be hunting down, remember?"

"Or so they say.” Lilith laughed. Her memory taking her a few years back. “But I've seen something different."

Even though every single one of her instincts told her against it, she took a step forward, and then another, and then another, and soon they were walking side by side towards the edge of the lake.

The first step into the water was the hardest. She was expecting the nymph to attack her the second her toes touched the surface of the lake. But nothing of the sort had happened. Soon they were walking knees deep into the lake. Her feet inching deeper into the muddy ground underneath her.

"Don't give away my secret.” said the woman, grinning and nodding her head towards the shore. “If all those pretty ladies hear it, they won't come anywhere near the water, and I hadn't had any fun in so long!"

She turned her gaze to where the water nymph was looking. It landed on the circle of women, amongst whom was Zelda and her sister. She glanced at the redhead and saw that the green eyes of the witch were already on hers. Concern and curiosity colored the green eyes. Her blood started to boil at the mere thought of the demon laying as much as a finger on the redhead.

"If you touch anyone from my coven…" She turned back to face the water nymph, just to see that she was being closely observed by her. The nymph’s eyes narrowed while she studied Lilith’s face. Her appearance had changed slightly. She looked sharper now.

"You're no fun anymore, Lilith, no fun at all." Even her voice has changed. It was closer to her real voice. Not the soft, sweet one she used to seduce her victims into her arms with. It was hoarse now as if shards of glass were hidden within her throat.

Lilith felt goosebumps waking on her skin with the next breath of wind.

"Why have you called me?" Lilith asked. She was done with playing games. There was always a reason. And she was sure, whatever it was this time, she wouldn’t like it.

Zelda watched the two women talk while strolling through the water, from the shore. She observed Lilith’s expressions and she could see, that whatever the younger woman was telling her, she didn’t like it one bit. She wondered who the other woman was. They seemed familiar enough with one another and Zelda tried to bury her growing jealousy deep within her chest. There was nothing to be jealous about, they were just friends, Lilith and she. The Queen of Hell and a High Priestess. She shouldn’t feel the way she…

“Do you want some lavender for your wreath, Zelds?”

The voice of her younger sister woke her up from her musings. She looked over at the blonde offering her the purple flowers with a knowing look on her face. She smiled softly at Hilda and took them.

How fitting, she thought as she placed the new addition to her wreath. Lavender had many healing properties, and wasn’t that what the summer solstice was all about? About healing and mending what was once broken in the winter? She pushed the thought of the past months as quickly as she could. She didn’t need a breakdown right in front of the members of her coven, who viewed her as their new, strong leader. She tried to focus on the here and now.

“I’m finished,” she said out loud, looking over at her sister. Hilda’s wreath looked beautiful, as always. She had added some colorful ribbons to it, so it looked a bit childish, but still was the most beautiful wreath in their small circle.

“It’s time, ladies.” An old hag croaked, standing up from her position. Every woman and girl present in the circle stood up as well.

Zelda sighed standing up from her uncomfortable spot. She wasn’t the biggest fan of this particular tradition. She thought it meaningless and a waste of time.

Every unmarried woman participating, was to make a wreath for herself and then set it onto the water. If a man was to pick one up, it was supposed to mean, he and the owner of the wreath were going to marry soon enough. Zelda’s wreaths sank year after year. Hilda’s too. And yet, her younger sister insisted on participating time after time. Why? Anyone’s guess as good as hers. Zelda had a feeling her sister just enjoyed the idea that one year a noble knight would pick up her wreath and they would fall madly in love. She thought Hilda read too many fairytales.

They walked over to the shore. Zelda’s eyes fell on the two women still standing in the water. Lilith had her back turned to Zelda, but she could tell that she was tense. The face of the other woman was serious as she talked, not looking away from Lilith’s face for one second.

Something unpleasant had stirred in her belly and she willed herself to look away. She focused on what she was doing.

The women holding their wreaths, walked into the water, one by one, just as the sun touched the horizon. A beautiful orange glow set everything in sight alive. Reflecting from the surface of the water, blinding them all. Zelda did not pay attention to what the others were doing. She walked into the water, her mind clearing instantly from the touch of the freezing liquid on her warm skin. She set her wreath on the water.

She waited.

And waited.

She waited for the flowers to sink underneath the water, just like every other year, indicating another year without a good marriage. And yet, nothing of the sort had happened.

She watched as the wreath floated further and further away from her, and suddenly… It had hit someone’s leg. Her heart started to pound in her chest. She looked up from the flowers to the person that was now bending down to pick them up, and she saw… 

Lilith. Alone. No sign of the other woman from earlier in sight.

The Queen of Hell examined the wet flowers in her hands, curiosity clearly visible on her face. Zelda, her heart in her throat, stepped closer, making her way through the water.

“That's mine,” she breathed out. Lilith’s head snapped upwards. Her icy blue eyes trapping hers in a strong grip. A beginning of that infuriating smirk of hers started to show on her face.

“Interesting,” she said in her quiet, sultry voice. She stepped closer to Zelda and handed over her wet, flowery crown. “You know, I never would have guessed you'd take part in this particular tradition of the summer solstice.”

“I don't really believe in it," she said, trying to ignore the way her body responded to the other woman's closeness. "I do it for Hilda. She loves the process of making a wreath. I think it's pointless. My wreaths sink each year, anyway…”

_But not this time_ , Zelda thought. She tried her hardest not to dwell on what was that supposed to mean.

A full smirk appeared on Lilith’s lips. She stepped even closer to Zelda. Their bodies almost touching. The water dancing around their legs. She took a strand of red hair that fell on Zelda’s face, between her wet fingers and put it behind her ear, caressing her cheek in the process. Marveling at the delicious blush that rose on the woman’s neck. And at the shiver that seemed to run down her spine.

“Well, not this time,” Lilith whispered as if reading Zelda's mind.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know, you guys. As I said - I was drunk. Blame the Drunk Grey for this mess.  
> Did you love it? Did you hate it? Let me know! Comments and kudos make my miserable life a bit better.  
> Find me on tumblr! @bainelland  
> Love, Grey.


End file.
